Are Your Before and After Photos “Picture Perfect”?

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Are Your Before and After Photos Picture
Perfect?
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• Before and After photos have proven to be some
  of the most impactful marketing tools an
  aesthetic practice has. Results are great to
  share on a website but a majority of patients
  research providers using platforms like
  Instagram, Facebook, and more recently TikTok.
  A set it and forget it strategy is not going to
  cut it on these dynamic communities so one must
  have a continual pipeline of results to share.

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• An article published by the American Med Spa
  Association (AmSpa) recently highlighted that
  before and after photos are crucial for medical
  spa promotion. The ability of images to attract
  and engage is astonishing and demands a shift in
  how we reach potential patients. Many clinics
  have already realized the power of photographs
  (they are worth a thousand words, after all) but
  dont have the understanding to leverage them
  appropriately.

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• Whether you are currently using before and after
  photos to drive new business into your practice,
  or if you are looking to start here are a few
  helpful tips to ensure you are making the most of
  this impactful content.

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• 1. Designate a Spot
• Designating a space in your office to take before
  and after photos helps improve consistency and
  quality of your photos. It can also improve the
  patient experience- going the extra mile to show
  them their progression can drive home your
  commitment to their success.

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• When selecting a space be sure to choose
  somewhere in the office where all photos will be
  taken using a solid background. Consider using
  marks on the walls and the floor to ensure
  patients are standing in the same place or at the
  same angle each time. To support PHYSIQ owners
  for instance, Cartessa Aesthetics provides a
  backdrop with gridlines and a floor decal so
  patients can be positioned and better measure the
  changes in their bodies. Whatever space you
  choose, ensure that the lighting whether
  natural or artificial is good and ideally
  lighting can remain undisturbed between patients.

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• 2. Have the right paperwork
• Protect yourself and your business by ensuring
  that you have the patients consent (both verbally
  and written) to use their photos and ensure
  whatever release you are using, social media is
  included. Add these files to your patients
  records along with the treatment setting used and
  any pre- or post- treatment regimens recommended.
  These details are essential for clinical
  purposes and to have them handy when asked how
  you produced such beautiful results!

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• 3. Take the Photos
• Remember to take the before photo! This sounds
  obvious but often times we get so excited to dive
  into the procedure, that we forget to document
  our starting point.

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• When taking the before photos, make sure to get
  different angles (front facing, left-side, right
  side) which will dictate the angles taken in the
  patients progression photos. If youre capturing
  a facial treatment, make sure that your patient
  is not wearing any makeup and to take photos with
  their eyes opened and closed. If youre capturing
  a body treatment, it is important that you ask
  your patient to stand up straight and not suck
  in/push out their chest and, if possible, to wear
  the same clothing in each photo.

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• Then, dont forget the after! Be sure to check
  in after the appropriate amount of time has
  passed to photograph results! It is best to
  photograph a patients results in your office.
  Make it a habit to take pictures before
  subsequent sessions or find ways to encourage
  patients to come into the office so you can
  review their results with them.

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• 5. Quality Counts
• Lighting, focus and clarity are important things
  to consider when evaluating the quality of your
  photos. You want to capture the highest
  resolution possible to ensure pictures can be
  used across digital platforms, in print etc.

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• Ring lights are a great solution to keep lighting
  consistent and to best spotlight the skin. To
  improve focus and clarity, evaluate the distance
  the photo is being taken from and try to avoid
  excessive zoom. Standing still or using a tripod
  can help ensure that your photos are taken from
  the same height and angle each time. You can also
  consider using a digital camera if phone photos
  are blurry or grainy!

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• 5. Consistency is a Priority
• Consistency is KEY! It is incredibly important to
  ensure that your before and after photos are
  taken in the same lighting and position without
  any makeup, and if possible, patients should be
  in the same outfit or dressed in a similar color
  outfit as their before photos. Improvements are
  best shown in photos where all factors
  (especially the treatment area of course!) are
  consistent. Inconsistent lighting and angles can
  undermine the quality and yes, the authenticity
  of your results.

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• 6. Consider using Apps
• There are a number of photo apps that can assist
  in laying out your photos consistently. The apps
  below are recommended by the Cartessa Aesthetics
  Practice Development team to help better promote
  photos through social media

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• PicCollage
• Photo Mirror
• Layout
• These apps differ slightly but they are all
  easily integrated with social media. You can
  input your photos and post directly from the app
  or save to your camera roll to share later! Other
  useful tools include HumazeMD an online tool to
  organize all your before and afters and publish
  them directly to websites and social media. In
  fact, Cartessa customers get a free 30-day trial
  and preferred monthly pricing from HumazeMD.

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• If you are investing in a best-in-class aesthetic
  device, you are missing out if you are not
  showing off your authentic, best-in-class results
  to current and potential patients. Cartessa
  feels so strongly in the importance of before and
  afters, that practices can submit their photo
  pairings online and if the quality, consent and
  consistency is there, they receive a credit to
  our e-store to cover marketing expenses,
  treatment consumables and accessories.

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• If you have questions about leveraging your
  results for marketing purposes and are interested
  in tips to better position your practice for
  success as well as new technology, reach out to
  your local Cartessa Aesthetics representative or
  contact us today!